First off, a new posthumous release from the late, great artist and producer J Dilla will be released on LP that day. The Diary comes out on CD and cassette the day before, but April 16’s vinyl release will come with a free 7” inside that includes the song “The Ex” (featuring Bilal) plus an R&B version of the song on the B-side. The song is a Pete Rock production.

The story behind the lost album is that J Dilla (real name James Dewitt Yancey) recorded an album’s worth of vocals back in 2002 that were ultimately shelved his parent label. That lead Yancey to break from the major label system and leave Detroit for California, where he produced his classics Ruff Draft,Jaylib's Champion Sound andDonuts.

Finally made it to my local post office yesterday to cop a sheet of the lovingly made new Sarah Vaughan(1924 -1990) Commemorative Forever Stamps that are so well put together that they (almost) look like they could be another great Record Store Day release. Unveiled by the USPS a couple of weeks ago (March 29) with a celebratory event at the Sarah Vaughan Concert Hall in the late jazz singer's hometown of Newark NJ, the sheet of sixteen Forever stamps ($7.52) are the latest in the post office's ongoing Music Icon series. Others have included Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, and Jimi Hendrix whose commemorative stamp was the last one in the series, issued back in March 2014. Like these other Music Icon stamps, Sarah Vaughan's stamp sheet is equally pleasing to the eye of any record collector. Designed with great detail, they perfectly resemble a vintage 45, 7" record picture sleeve on both back and front.

On the back (picture right), where the sixteen peel off stamps are centered, it even looks like the tip of a black vinyl seven inch record peeking out on top. Meanwhile below, just like on some records, is a brief artist bio. Flip it over to the front sleeve art (picture above) and to the right of Vaughan's image is a list of twelve "popular" songs by the artist also known as "The Divine One" and "Dreamy." These include the Sarah Vaughan standards "Body and Soul,” “Whatever Lola Wants,” “Misty,” “It’s Magic,” “Thinking of You,” “If You Could See Me Now,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “Autumn in New York,” “Send in the Clowns,” “Key Largo," "Lover Man," and "It Might as Well Be Spring." Look for these songs on such actual releases by Sarah Vaughan as Sarah Vaughan: Great American Songbook and Sarah Vaughan's Finest Hour.

Record Store Day is almost here! On Saturday, April 16, 2016, independent music stores everywhere will unite to celebrate record store culture and to bring YOU fabulous limited edition releases! Download a PDF of those exclusive RSD releases right HERE.

This year RSD has several special vinyl soundtracks in an assortment of tasty colors in store for the film hounds among you. Here's our 10 favorite from those being offered:

Dark Shadows by Bob Cobert
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the vampiric day-time soap opera Dark Shadows with this special re-release pressed on purple 180 gram vinyl, complete with the original poster from the 1966 version. Kick back in your velvet-lined coffin and dream of the 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, mortal governess Victoria Winters, and creepy old Collinwood Mansion as you enjoy hits like “Shadows of the Night (Quentin’s Theme)” and "Opening Theme." There's good reason this album remains one of Billboard’s Top 10 selling television soundtracks of all time!

UPDATE: These Disney Crosley turntables are still available post-Record Store Day. Come into Amoeba Hollywood and pick one up, or buy it here.
Record Store Day is a mere four days away. This Saturday, April 16, RSD will take over our stores, with exclusive releases, DJ sets, fun activities and more. See a list of all the releases coming out that day here.

One of the coolest things coming out on RSD is this Disney Mickey Mouse CrosleyCruiser turntable. Similarly to the Crosley turntable from last year that featured the Peanuts gang, this one has Mickey Mouse and Pluto, imagining Mickey as a vinyl-collecting hipster. But it's also kind of like that first turntable you had when you were a kid — nostalgia!

We've got it in the warehouse now. Check out some pictures below. It's like an old school version of those unboxing videos.

Record Store Day, the magical celebration of independent record stores and the people who love them, comes but once a year and this year's date is fast approaching. On Saturday, April 16, we'll have hundreds of limited edition, RSD-exclusive releases available at our stores. It might seem overwhelming, but the process is actually quite simple. At Amoeba San Francisco and Amoeba Berkeley, you'll be able to find RSD titles on the floor throughout the day. At Amoeba Hollywood, there's a different process; check out our handy guide to navigating Record Store Day at Amoeba Hollywood and you'll be holding those sweet records in your loving hands in no time.

Amoeba Hollywood will open its doors for shopping at 10:30AM on Record Store Day. However, if you want the RSD titles, there will be a separate line which will start forming on Ivar no earlier than 8AM. We'll also have coffee and treats from our friends at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® to help fuel the early birds in line for RSD releases.

Before you come down to Amoeba Hollywood, you'll want to take a look at our list of RSD exclusives available and make your picks. Here's what to do:

Step 1: Download the menu of releases and fill out your selections. We'll also have hard copies of the menu on hand for those who forget to print it ahead of time.

Step 2: Give your menu to one of our lovely staff members, who will pull records in the same order as the line formed outdoors.